The Prince-Bishopric of Passau, Passau, is a small ecclesiastical state in Central Europe. It is bordered by Bavaria to the west and Austria-Bohemia to the East. It is a state of the Holy Roman Empire. The capital is Passau and the population around 282,500.

The Head of State is Prince-Bishop Thomas Leopold.

The official language is German.

The currency is the Bavarian Taler (BVT).

History

One of the original four sees of Bavaria and centered on the old Roman colony of Batavis, Passau was established in 737 as Germany's easternmost outpost. As such it suffered tremendously from the migrations of the Hungarians. After the Battle of Lech it was at the forefront of the re-Christianisation of Pannonia/Hungary and successive bishops attempted to have their primacy over the east confirmed. Though this would not succeed, in 999 Otto III granted the bishops taxation rights raising them to princes of the empire and forming the current state.

During the Hussite Wars Passau was often on the front line of the Empire's wars. Taborites besieged the city in 1419 while its diocesan holdings were greatly reduced by the creation of the Diocese of Vienna in 1460. While many in its diocese converted the principality itself saw little of the spread of Lutheranism and it remained unsullied by the Fifty Years War. However, a massive fire in 1674 leveled the city. Successive bishops would spend vast sums rebuilding the city including many substantial cathedrals. This coincided with a protest against the bishops, generally landed nobility with no canonical qualifications and often administering multiple ecclesiastical estates. In the post-Treaty of Copenhagen reunited Imperial Diet these administrators were forced to give up their multiple holdings. Henceforth Passau, then being run by the Hapsburg ‎Wilhelm Ferdinand was divorced from a whole host of estates across Southern Germany, regaining the right to elect its own bishops.

During the Imperial Diet's attempts to secularise and reform ecclesiastical estates Passau supported Bavaria in its hostility to the moves. However popular campaigns from its own population has begun moves toward a more democratic state, rejecting any potential (and unlikely) union with either Bavaria or Austria, but aiming toward a progressive republican government with the bishops restricted to spiritual matters.

Government

Passau is governed principally by the Bishop's Council which mostly derives from the governing bodies of various and subject to screening by the Prince-Bishops themselves. A small lay council with limited powers also operates but this is elected by a relatively narrow suffrage.

In order to aid the development of a more enlightened government a Chancellor, Wilhelm Oster, has been appointed by the Bishops' Council to lead the secular government.